10 Amazing caves you have to visit
Caves are often used as a backdrop for many fantastical tales and adventures. Whether something dark and treacherous lurks within or perhaps something wonderfully magical, fictional caves provide a great deal of mystery. But these stories are not just based on fiction. In fact, caves of wonderment are real and exist all over the world. Here are 10 of the most amazing caves in the world that you can go see right now.
Cave of the Crystals, Naica, Mexico
Amazingly enough, this remarkable cave was only discovered in the year 2000. The cave just above it, the Cave of the Swords, was found in 1910. The crystals within the Cave of the Crystals are enormous, The entire floor of the cave is covered in perfectly faceted crystal formations, and the cave contains the biggest natural Selenite crystals ever documented in the entire world. The crystals formed because of the magma chamber that is just on the floor of the cave. It is the magma that makes the cave so incredibly hot, running at about 130 degrees Fahrenheit on average. Because it is so hot in the cave, it still has not been thoroughly explored and visitors can only endure a few minutes before they have to leave.
The Blue Grotto, Capri, Italy
The Island of Capri’s emblem is the Blue Grotto because of its remarkable beauty and its status as one of the most beautiful caves in the world. The Blue Grotto is well-known for its unique blue and green glow. The glow is created by both the cave’s entrance as well as a hole that sits below the entrance and is covered by water. You can only enter the grotto by boat since the cave is completely filled with water.
Fingal’s Cave, Staffa, Scotland
Hidden on the uninhabited island of Staffa, Fingal’s Cave is made up of basalt columns. The cave is categorized as a sea cave due to its location and formation. The columns within are joined in a unique hexagon shape, giving the cave an almost cathedral-like feeling. Otherwise, the cave is a bit on the creepy side due to the echoes that are created by the arched roof. The waves create echoes that give visitors an eerie feeling, which is made somehow worse by the fact that the island itself is devoid of humans.
Waitomo Glowworms Cave, New Zealand
This cave was so named because of the glowworms that live within it. The Arachnocampa Luminosa live only in this cave and nowhere else in the world. But millions of them happily make the cave their home. The worms are only the size of a mosquito and create a unique twinkling glow throughout the cave, mimicking the night’s sky. There are guided tours that take visitors through three levels of the cave, and it also includes a boat ride. The worms are thought to live primarily in the cave due to its unique atmosphere, from the temperature to the amount of carbon dioxide within the cave.
Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
The largest known cave in the entire world, Son Doong contains amazing wonders that you will not find elsewhere. From isolated ecosystems to unique geological formations to weather systems, the cave really is an experience all by itself. The cave is so large that it could easily hold a 747 airplane and still have room to spare. There are tours available that will take you through it, letting you tick off another item on your bucket list.
Vatnajokull Glacier Cave, Iceland
Sitting within the Vatnajokull Glacier, the cave formed because of melting glacial water. These kinds of caves are especially dangerous as glaciers shift, move, and melt all of the time. Since the Vatnajokull Glacier is the largest in the whole of Europe, however, the cave is incredibly strong and does not seem to be going anywhere too quickly! The ice cave is completely unique, with walls that mimic rippling water. This one is less dangerous than others due to the unlikely event that it will suddenly break apart while you are in it, but still not the safest cave in the world either.
Batu Caves, Malaysia
The Batu Caves have been around as long as humans have been documenting time. There is evidence that the caves were used by English settlers, Chinese settlers, and the Temuan people who are indigenous to the area. The caves are filled with bats and at one point the bat guano (aka bat poop) was gathered to use in agriculture, though it is not practiced any longer. Today, the cave has plenty of statues to see, as well as the bats, and visitors come daily to take in the amazing rock formations and see the statues. And visit the bats of course.
Mendenhall Glacier Cave, Alaska
Situated outside of Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier Cave poses the same problem as the Vatnajokull Cave in Iceland. Glacial water melting off created the cave as it melted and refroze. The walls are unique in shape, looking almost like bubbles. Though the magical nature of the cave is incredible and an experience you should go for, glacier caves are continually changing and the whole thing will just disappear eventually. Fortunately, due to the size, it should not happen suddenly with visitors inside of it.
Reed Flute Cave, China
Situated in Guangxi, China, the Reed Flute Cave has been a tourist attraction for literally more than a 1,000 years. The cave may have been named for the reeds that sit along the opening, but the stalagmites and stalactites are unique and incredibly spectacular. The cave puts off an eerie and almost fairy-like glow that will make you feel like you have slipped into another world.
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Created from thousands of years of heavy winds and crazy flash floods, the Antelope Canyon is a unique feature of nature. The walls of the cavern are smooth and incredible, but you will not want to visit the cave during rainy season. The flash floods that created the cavern have claimed the lives of many visitors caught unawares.
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